Who?
then-Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI)* — fmr. member, House Intelligence Committee; Chair, Select China Committee
*Gallagher exited Congress April 19th
LISTEN: Laslo & Gallagher
Ask a Pol asks:
Recently a slew of US senators — including Sens. Tim Kaine, Mark Kelly & Kirsten Gillibrand — have publicly voiced concerns with top Pentagon officials over repeated incursions by unknown craft over sensitive military bases and nuclear sites, should Americans be worried?
Key Gallagher:
“I still don’t think we have a good explanation for what’s fouling our ranges. I haven’t heard one. And that’s just a matter of safety for our pilots,” Gallagher exclusively told Ask a Pol. “And furthermore, I don’t think we have a well-enough established process for just cataloging the incidents, like analyzing all the data and storing it in the right way. I just feel like AARO [the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office] has a long way to go in that respect as well.”
Our follow-up:
Interesting, when AARO just dropped their recent declassified report, they made it sound very definitive, and yet, there's still a lot of incursions and a lot of frustration with you members?
“I share that frustration,” Gallagher replied.
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How can Congress whip AARO into shape?
“Well, I think more hearings, were good. I think the hearing that we did last year was very smooth, and it got a ton of attention,” Gallagher told us. “It just showed that Congress cared about the issue and wasn't afraid to talk about it, right? Cause everyone doesn’t wanna be labeled a kooky alien nut. So more of that. Just, like, standard flexing the oversight muscles.”
Gallagher predicts UAPs will surface in NDAA, again
“I think it’s probably gonna be another issue that will be addressed in some fashion in this year's NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act],” Gallagher told Ask a Pol.
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Mike Gallagher
SCENE: A couple days before Gallagher exited Congress, Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo ran into him in the basement of the Capitol. They hopped an elevator before the-then Congressman jetted up a tight old back stairwell with Ask a Pol forced to record over his shoulder. Gallagher was making his way to the floor of the US House of Representatives to cast one of his last votes on behalf of his neighbors back in Wisconsin.
Matt Laslo: “How are you doin’, sir?”
Mike Gallagher: “What’s up?”
ML: “I was curious, a few months back I asked you about the UAP issue, and it’s been interesting over the Senate side. Like, Tim Kaine brought it up with generals who were just in town. Mark Kelly just brought it up about Luke Air Force Base…”
They reach an elevator.
MG: “Oh yeah?”
ML: “…Kaine was bringing it up about Langley [Air Force Base]. Gillibrand was just out in Nevada, said there was incursions — like, regular incursions — that she was briefed on in the classified portion of her trip.”
MG: “Yeah-yeah.”
ML: “Seems like there’s just a steady — like, should we be worried? Should Americans be worried by this?”
MG: “Well, I still don’t think we have a good explanation for what’s fouling our ranges. I haven’t heard one. And that’s just a matter of safety for our pilots. And furthermore, like, I don’t think we have a well-enough established process for just cataloging incidents, like, analyzing all the data and storing it in the right way. I still feel like AARO [All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office] has a long way to go in that respect as well. So…”
ML: “Well, that’s what’s interesting, when they just dropped their recent declassified report, they made it sound very definitive, and yet, there's still a lot of incursions and a lot of frustration with you members?”
MG: “I share that frustration.”
ML: “What can be done to dislodge them? Or whip them into shape?”
Gallagher pauses to let some of his colleagues pass.
MG: “Sorry, go ahead.”
ML: “I was just asking, what can be done to whip them into shape?”
MG: “Well, I think more hearings, were good. I think the hearing that we did last year was very smooth, and it got a ton of attention. It just showed that Congress cared about the issue and wasn't afraid to talk about it, right? Cause everyone doesn’t wanna be labeled a kooky alien nut. So more of that. Just, like, standard flexing the oversight muscles.”
ML: “And has there just not been a follow-up because of all the other stuff? Speaker battle…”
MG: “No, I mean, we've been doing stuff. I had a variety of amendments and whatnot. But I think it’s probably gonna be another issue that will be addressed in some fashion in this year's NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act].”
ML: “Yeah?”
MG: “We’ll see.”
ML: “Yeah. I'll be watching. Have a good one.”
Matt Laslo’s a veteran congressional correspondent, new media prof. & founder of Ask a Pol — a new, people-powered press corps.
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Mike Gallagher: "I still don’t think we have a good explanation for what’s fouling our ranges. I haven’t heard one"